Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame inductees announced

DE SOTO, Kan. – John Herrick, D.V.M., and Jim Jarrett, D.V.M., will be posthumously honored as inductees to the Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame at the American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP) 45th annual conference in Montreal. They will be recognized on Sept. 22 during the Hall of Fame banquet sponsored by Merck Animal Health.

The Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame was established in 2011 to celebrate the rich traditions of production veterinary medicine by honoring the exceptional men and women who have made lasting contributions to the veterinary profession. The award winners will join inaugural inductees Harold Amstutz, D.V.M., and Dan Upson, D.V.M., M.S. Ph.D., in the hall of fame.

“This year’s inductees are true pioneers in cattle production medicine,” says Mark Spire, D.V.M., technical services manager for Merck Animal Health. “Drs. Herrick and Jarrett each played significant roles in advancing the industry and laying a foundation to build upon.”

Five organizations sponsor the Hall of Fame including the AABP, the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC), Bovine Veterinarian, Merck Animal Health and Osborn Barr. The inductees were selected by their peers, and all AABP and AVC members had the opportunity to vote for one beef and one dairy veterinarian..

John Herrick, D.V.M. 2012 Beef Inductee Dr. Herrick was best known for pioneering the concept of preconditioning programs for weaned calves and his continued advocacy for veterinarians. His dedication to the profession led to a distinguished career and multiple leadership positions.

Dr. Herrick was an Iowa native and received his bachelor’s, master’s and veterinary medical degrees from Iowa State University. He practiced large-animal medicine before returning to Iowa State University, where he spent 35 years as a professor of veterinary clinical science and an extension veterinarian.

Dr. Herrick played a leading role in the formation of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, as well as the Society for Theriogenology, the use of artificial insemination in cattle and swine, and establishing semen production standards. He also is known for his work to prevent brucellosis and mastitis. Dr. Herrick’s efforts led to the creation of the Iowa Preconditioning Calf Program, viewed as the industry gold standard for such programs.

A former colleague, Dr. Larry Corah from Manhattan, Kan., nominated Dr. Herrick for the award due to his prominence as an extension veterinarian.

“Dr. Herrick was ahead of his time in the profession and an early advocate for pre-conditioning cattle,” says Dr. Corah. “He was an excellent veterinarian, and everyone respected him personally and professionally.”

During his career, Dr. Herrick spent time in more than 40 organizations nationally and internationally, eight of which he was a founding member. He was a past president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Iowa Veterinary Medical Association and the American Association of Extension Veterinarians. Until his death in 2007, Dr. Herrick spent his retirement years as an animal-health consultant in Paradise Valley, Ariz.

Jim Jarrett, D.V.M. 2012 Dairy Inductee Dr. Jarrett was a widely-known expert in milk quality, dairy nutrition and reproductive management. He co-founded the AABP Quality Milk Pre-conference Seminar and was active in many organizations during his career.

A Georgia native, Dr. Jarrett earned his bachelor’s degree from Berry College in Rome, Ga., and his veterinary medical degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia. After practicing for five years, he worked for the state of Georgia, developing one of the first milk-quality programs in the nation.

In 1967, Dr. Jarrett returned to private practice and established a dairy-production consulting business serving Georgia and the surrounding states. Not long after he started, Dr. Jarrett’s expertise and talents were being sought across the country and around the world.

When the call for nominations was announced, Dr. Keith Sterner, former colleague and retired D.V.M., from Ionia, Mich., immediately thought of Dr. Jarrett as a candidate.

“Dr. Jarrett left a very large footprint in the industry through his promotion of veterinarians and contributions to dairy production medicine,” says Dr. Sterner. “He was an excellent role model and an example for the industry.”

Dr. Jarrett’s leadership spanned several organizations including the World Buiatrics Association, American Veterinary Medical Association and AABP. He served as AABP president, as well as its executive vice president for more than 15 years. Dr. Jarrett received many awards, including AABP Practitioner of the Year, the Amstutz-Williams Award (AABP’s highest honor) and Georgia Veterinary Medical Association Veterinarian of the Year.